Publisher's Synopsis
The maps produced in this atlas are based on the data for the Survey of English Dialects (SED) that were published in narrow phonetic transcription between 1962 and 1971. The Computer Developed Atlas of England (CLAE) consists of 169 computer-produced maps, 75 of which are lexical, 56 morphological and 38 syntactic in character. The maps that show the potentials of the computer in linguistics cartography very well are considered to be superior to any of the previously published lexical, morphological and syntactic maps based on the SED data both as regards the amount of the information they provide and the way they present it. Of special importance is the integration of the informants' and fieldworkers' remarks on the status of the responses into the symbolization. This is the first time that such information is put on the map. Altogether seven status categories are distinguished. The system even allows to indicate the information of more than one category in any one symbol. As far as the symbolization os concerned, contrasts are also indicated by the size of the symbol. Generally, the symbols of non-standard forms are larger and thus catch the eye more directly.
Apart from the maps the atlas contains chapters on dialectological aspects, describing the key and the conventions followed in computerizing the data, the problems encountered in the computerization process and the special features of the CLAE; as well as on computational aspects, treating, e.g., the development of the CLAE software and the production of the graphics. Moreover, a bibliography mainly on English linguistic geography is included as well as indices of the mapped notions.
